Implantable cardiac devices, including pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrilators, are sometimes used in the care of patients having cardiac conditions. During operation, these devices typically generate and store device data that records information about the device's operation and the patient's condition.
Device data can be obtained from an implantable cardiac device by interrogating the device. Interrogation can occur at home, such as through a home monitoring device, or at a point of care, such as at a hospital or clinic. Home monitoring typically occurs on a periodic or occasional basis, while point of care interrogations are typically ordered by a requesting physician, as part of a patient's visit to a care facility.
Device data is typically routed through the device manufacturer's own systems, which generates the manufacturer's interrogation report. Such manufacturer's interrogation reports often vary from company to company.
Once the manufacturer's report is obtained, it may be printed out or otherwise sent to a physician for review, such as in an e-mail message. The physician may choose to review the report, and if so, may also pull up and navigate through the patient's medical record to assist in his study of the report and to investigate any noticeable issues or concerns relating to this patient. Once completed, the physician may also choose to make a record of his or her findings. The process can consume a considerable amount of time, and as a result the physician may choose to complete the process only in exceptional circumstances.
Sometimes an interrogation report reveals clinically relevant information. A health care facility may face liability if a physician chooses not to review the interrogation report, or simply forgets, or if the physician does not understand the report and overlooks the clinically relevant information.